Book- खुशहाल बच्चे, Author- शोभा भागवत, Book Review- Ankita Gour
Book- खुशहाल बच्चे
Author- शोभा भागवत
Book Review- Ankita Gour
Author
Shobha Bhagwat (born 29 August 1947) is a Marathi writer who
studies child psychology and writes books mainly on children. She is the director
of Bal Bhavan in Pune.
Summary
खुशहाल बच्चे
In this chapter, the author talked about a common question
asked by parents to teachers “What should they do, so that their children learn
everything and get success?” This is the common concern of each parent; this
needs a proper direction. This is why the Bal Bhavan got started so that
children will learn happily there. When children feel happy, they automatically
learn and grow faster.
Children go to Bal Bhavan after school gets over. Many of the
children are of the age of 3 to 12 years. The grouping of children is based on
their age group. In a group, there are 15 to 20 children. Each group has one
operator. The groups are divided with different interests of students, and
different programs and functions are arranged on the basis of the interests of
children. In groups, children get personal care and attention.
Many programs are organized in Bal Bhavan, such as Dance,
exercise, Drama, Drawing, Stories. On weekends they organized picnics, Bird
watching, Trekking, Factory visits, Competitions, and scientific
experiments.
Left! Right! Left!
In Bal Bhavan, children do the exercise in starting,
gradually they included yoga, Gymnastics, Judo, Karate, and other recreational exercises
in it. Children feel happiness, while and after doing exercises.
One of the most important things about this Bal Bhavan is
“Children do not trust in anything blindly.” i.e. without any
proof.
Their children of this Bal Bhavan do exercises on different
rhythms, counting, songs, drum beats, and so on. So that children enjoy the
exercise happily. It is like recreational activity in everything, so children
enjoy the exercise effectively.
If we compare it from other schools then, we observe that we
cannot teach anything to children by forcing them, by giving them strict
punishment and violence. Here children have the right to do exercise as per
their choice and interests.
अलग अलग खेल
In Bal Bhavan children play different games. In different
regions, different games are played by children, like Musical chairs and relay
races. But in this place, children learn and play different games, which are
not common but are very interesting. Therefore, children explore thoroughly.
These games are “Queen of Sheeba” in this
game something hid from somewhere, and there are two teams, children have to
find that thing team-wise, whichever team finds, that team wins the game.
More games are, “Ram Ram Bhaiya”, “Sher Bakri”, “Prashn
Uttar”.
Through such games children learn different skills and
activities without teaching them, they learn every skill by themselves.
Children get different experiences; it enhances mental and physical growth and
development.
प्रकृति निरिक्षण
In Bal Bhavan usually, children visit natural places. To
visit natural places is not all about knowing the names of birds and plants,
this is only informative knowledge, but the real meaning is to play in the lap
of nature, one instance can be to pluck some flowers (कनेर के फूल) and wear them in the fingers. So, through
such activities, they can understand the various things about nature. They also
learn “do not cut the trees” instead they learn to plant the trees, and this
does not happen only just by visiting the natural place, but by engaging
themselves in interacting with nature. Children saw some people there
cutting the trees, they instantly shouted there “Please do not cut the trees.”
One other child got one branch of trees lying on the road, he starts planting
it in the ground.
पिकनिक द्वारा शिक्षण
We use to go for a picnic twice a month, Nearby Pune
there are many gardens, Mountains, Temples, Historical places, Bird-watching
places, Sanctuaries, zoos, and Museums.
Children enjoy a lot at picnics, they freely ask questions
there. The “Aagakhan” Place visit was the most memorable one, there Gandhi Ji
exhibition was there, all the pictures and things related to Gandhi Ji was
there, children saw those pictures and the visual impression sets in their mind
of Gandhi Ji. Now in their mind, the image of Gandhi Ji set.
So, in such activities, they learned by themselves, just by
visiting the exhibition.
Visiting in factories such as Cocoa-Cola, Biscuits, water
purification, groundnut oil, chocolate factory, sugar factory, etc. These all made
them understand how things are made, the whole process set in their mind. They
even can form an image in their mind that which profession they want to choose
in their lives. Children played there, so many questions arose in their minds,
and they asked and clear their doubts.
So, from all these children learn many things about their
daily need things, they learn everything by themselves, they learn the concepts
in the concrete forms instead of abstract learning directly through books. Now
they can able to differentiate about the things easily.
Children learn about the animals in the Zoo, by seeing them
directly. Now they know about the different features of those animals they saw
there. They understood the difference between shape, color, size, and other
things about animals. After this visit suppose if we will ask children to write
on animals they can easily write the things which they saw and observed.
चित्र कला और हस्तकला
The author Shobha Ji discussed the various arts performed by
children there, they learn different things by doing it right away. Hance
children get concrete experiences directly. Some children made the idol of Lord
Ganesha, each child made it differently. They also color and paint the “दही हांडी”
differently by themselves in their own way with their creativities.
Children made Rangoli, greeting cards, Colored the earthen
lamps, and so on. They also do something with different leaves, they make
different figures of birds and animals.
In drawing and painting, they used to draw on walls, floors,
blackboards and on anywhere, it was no compulsion for them to draw only on
papers or notebooks, they were free to draw anywhere. The father of one student
was a painter, he thought the walls of the Bal Bhavan should be painted by
drawing different things, but then children were so curious after listening to
this, they really wanted to make the drawings, then the children draw different
things on the walls of their own choices, and filled the color whatever they
wanted.
Once 25 wooden stools got damaged, when the higher-class
children were asked to repair those stools, they start doing that happy with
their interests.
Children also made different shapes from their hands, for
example, they made peacocks, fish, cock, and many more from their hands.
गुरूजी से भेंट
When children meet persons who have different connections
with different art forms. When children met the “Vishnupant Chinchalkar
and Arvind Gupta” it has a great impression on children. They felt so
much interest in that.
The Guruji said that there are pictures everywhere, this is
our perception only which differs it. They gave the example of the Spider’s web
in one of the corners in the room, it itself has its own picture.
If we'll observe deeply then there are many shapes and
patterns we can find on the wet walls, so it means that this is only our
perception to see and observe the different kinds of pictures and shapes
anywhere.
There are many more things to observe and see the different
pictures in that, for instance, we can see the letter “क्ष”
in this we can see the image of monkey if we take “म” and
reverse it we'll find the cat. The Guruji’s broke the way of seeing
things, they made children understand that there are various ways of seeing
things, they said our perception matters most.
कबाड़ से जुगाड़
Arvind Gupta Ji is the kind of person who always keeps
on engaging himself in the world of science. He showed different glimpses of
science in daily things and processes. Such as through match sticks and the
valve tubes of the cycle, we can make different shapes. This can be the best
way to introduce the different concepts of geometry.
Similarly, there are old refills, coins, bricks, plastic
bags, bottles and caps, postcards, etc. These can be good ways to teach many
concepts to the students.
So to give a good education to the students, we should try to
bring such persons in children’s contact. There is a huge impression on
children by interacting with such personalities.
In schools, children have many restrictions, but they
actually curious to listen, learn and do something new and different always.
We as a teacher should speak for a limited period of time
because children feel bored if teachers will speak for a long duration of time.
विशेष बच्चों को लाभ
In this part the author discussed one of the special
children, named keyur, he suffered from one of the diseases, but after coming
to Balbhavan there is a lot of improvement in his health, and he was insisted
to his parent to send him to the Balbhavan because he understands everything in
Balbhavan.
There was another child Akshay, his mind works but his body
does not. When others play in Balbhavan, to him they give rope, he used to move
that rope, gradually by this activity they saw a difference in the movement,
now in the company of the other children, there is the improvement in the
health of Akshay.
There was a boy of 5 years old, whenever someone ask him to
draw something, he used to make a tree and a man hanging on the rope there,
then the author visited his home to know the reason behind this, she found
there were 6 members in his home, but in the span of one hour, she saw that
each member was pinching and poking him continuously. He was feeling so much
tied in his home. Then the author talked to his family members about this, then
onwards they changed their behavior somewhat.
Another boy was there, his mother used to pinch him whenever
he played, one the author asked his mother not to interrupt him while he is
doing something or playing any game, let him do it. Then his mother realized
and sat somewhere else and started reading the magazine. When the boy came to
know this he said to the author that she is my real mother and at home, there
is my step mother, the author was shocked and asked his mother about this, the
mother said this is not true I am the only and real mother of Rohit.
This happened because his mother used to do house chores at
the home the whole day and here, she is reading the magazine. So that he was
saying like that.
Some children use to see their parents are quarreling at
home, some saw the death of their parents, even a few saw their mothers
burning. Such children should be treated sensitively. Teachers should be
trained in such matters also.
छुट्टियों मे विशेष शिविर
In the month of April-May, the work of the Balbhavan
increases effectively, as the children those who are unable to come in regular
days, around 500-600 children come during this span of time. So, there
are usually around a thousand children in Balbhavan at this time.
The Bal Bhavan organized different camps, such as to make
some different creative things, to prepare food creatively so that children
learn things with enjoyment.
All boys and girls use to engage in each activity, this develops
gender sensitivity in all.
पैदान सैर
For the past 10 years, the author organized this camp to
visit Pune city on foot. This is 10 days camp, in which by walking on foot, all
of them visit the different places of Pune city. In these children learn a lot
of things practically by experiencing it. For instance, they learn How to walk
on the road, how to be cooperative in groups while visiting crowded areas, how
to cross the roads, they learn different values such as mutual understanding
and help each other. They understand each other's behavior.
When they visited Pune Vidhyapeeth, children enjoyed a lot
and due to slope routes, they tired also, hence while returning from there all
of them ate something in the university canteen, then returned by Bus. This way
children were also feeling elderly.
On the closure day of the camp, children made Bhel and
sharbat. Actually, it was pre-decided who will bring the which items. Now
in this way, children learned so many things when they will go somewhere now,
they are able to manage everything. They got the general or basic knowledge of
the city, they learned about the geographical view, about the historical
monuments, factories and so on.
खुशियों का शिविर
Every year Balbhavan tries to find something new. This year
the children of 3-5 years participated. This time the camp consists of
different musical instruments to play. Another topic was Jungle, where children
made trees with colorful papers, they made a pond with a small tub filled with
water, but different animal toys around the pond, and much more.
When children get such a nice environment, where their
visualization and imagination increase. They find this very interesting and
learn new things with enjoyment.
कार्यकर्ताओ का मनोबल
Here teachers have the freedom to work freely, they are
self-motivated and create an atmosphere filled with respect, faith, and
affinity. Hence teachers are happy as they do creative work with full
freedom.
To maintain such a working atmosphere, the members have to
take care of so many things. Once one of the children made one horse and a man
sat on it, but there was a distance between the horse and man, but the teacher
did not interrupt him or laugh at him, so afterward he himself realized his
mistake. This attitude of the teacher is very essential to encourage and
motivate children.
A few children sow the seeds, after a few days small sapling
came. All children engaged in different activities. Teachers play a very
significant role in motivating the children.
श्रम का फल
In Balbhavan, the members teach the children about the value
of hard work, they initiate them to do different things by themselves, the use
and through the habit of the modern people of cities is not good.
भविष्य की आवश्यकताएं
Today’s scenario needs more such institutions which can give
such the real childhood of children. There should be regular classes for
parents. The Bal Bhavan is preparing to provide a good room for drama, where
they can perform drama. There is a need to provide them the business knowledge.
Here children get different experiences and hence they become brave.
Reflections-
- Teachers should be facilitators and let the children
construct their knowledge by themselves.
- Schools should have a fearless atmosphere, then only
children can grow and develop properly.
- The teacher should not teach anything in the traditional
method, they should focus on recreational activities through which
children learn things without getting bored.
- We should also focus on the physical wellness of
the children, not by forcing them to follow the same rules, let them do
the exercise differently.
- Instead of teaching the children abstractly, try to
introduce them the concrete things first, for instance, if you want to
teach them about nature, take them for a visit to natural places.
- Arranging different picnic trips for children, so that
they can have many experiences.
- Organizing different activities of art, craft, dance,
drama, etc. for children.
- Visits to factories, historical places, gardens. Through
this, children can learn different skills and knowledge.
- As we all know, the impression of someone plays a huge
role in our lives, similarly if we invite the personality, so children
automatically influence from him. Reading about anyone in the book doesn't
influence this much.
- Teach them making different things which we can make
from the waste material.
- When it comes to special children, we should engage them
with all children, therefore there would be a positive change come in
their health, also they get motivated from other children.
- Teach
them everything in integrated manner, there should not be a specific class
for a specific subject.
- Children
can learn many things from exercise, picnic trip, visits to different
places, art activities, spending time in nature etc.
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